Eye of the beholder
by yume girl 91
Summary: Both were broken, seeking something that would give them meaning. In the winter city of a thousand lights they will collide. Au UlquiRuki, give it a read!


~Eye of the beholder~

It was cold that night. Cold as it always was in winter. The young man turned up the collar of his woolen jacket, averting his face from the sight of the homeless wretches huddled in the street corners and foul odors arising in curling pumes in the frosty air. He blew out from pale lips, chapped from the night's walk, at the corner light he came to a stop. A fellow human--a short woman wrapped in a purple Boucle coat strode by; the waiting car had right of way, but the woman had chosen to cross without a moment's thought.

He glanced at her as she went by, her eyes were lowered, heavily outlined in mascara and dark shadow, her skin was pale two high spots of rouge brought garish life to her waxy pallor. Her coat flapped open as her boot heels made contact with the curb, allowing him a glimpse of a tight black patent leather mini-skirt that hugged her thighs and a low-cut halter top of the same material. _A street walker? _

The woman gave no sign of having noticed his curious stare, her footsteps receded until she was some distance away. He wasn't surprised to hear her scream, dressed like that she was just asking for trouble; without a second thought, he hurried back up the street, ignoring the signal light that had come on.

In an alleyway half a block down, she had been cornered by three dirty-looking men. One lunged for her only to be kicked back by a perfectly executed spin-kick. Ulquiorra hung back, ascessing the scene carefully with narrowed eyes before deciding upon his course of action. She wasn't as helpless as she appeared, slamming her knee upward into the middle of another while jabbing backward with her elbow into the mouth of the other.

"Y-Y-You bitch!!!!" the first screamed, bringing his meaty fist down onto her head. The woman stumbled, her face screwing up in pain; the man nodded to his cohorts indicating she was weakened. They started forward, only to hesitate at the shuffle of footsteps approaching. "That's enough," Ulquiorra said warningly. The men stared at his slight form and laughed.

He hated it when trash such as them underestimated him.

~*~

"Do you live around here?"

The woman groaned, her palm sliding across his arm to steady herself.

"Can you hear me? " Ulquiorra stared down into her face, her eyelids fluttered revealing startling eyes of deep lavender. "Ugh...give me a sec," the woman muttered, breathing in rasply then choking on the cold dry air that filled her lungs. "I..." she nodded to the street visible from the alley entrance, "I...live two blocks down."

"I'll take you there then," he slid her arm around his neck. The woman turned her head, appraising his fine features with a slightly knowing look, her gaze traveled down his body, her tongue flicking over her lips, "oh could you? I'm much obliged."

He wasn't fooled by her sudden helpless act. The woman sensed a potential client within her radius, it was all about just how to snare him into her pants and get her hands on his pocketbook. They were all the same, these whores.

~*~

As expected, she slipped her coat from her shoulders the moment they had stepped into the tiny apartment in a dingy four story building. Ulquiorra allowed his eyes to roam over her body as she pretended to bend over to pick up her coat, the skirt was tight, the fabric strained over her ass. She deposited the coat on the nearest arm chair then sat on the edge, her legs spread apart, she waved him into a seat across the tiny table where he had unhindered access to the tease beneath her skirt.

"I never did get your name--?"

"Ulquiorra."

He saw her smile.

"Well, Ulquiorra, thank you for rescuing me. It makes me feel like a princess somehow," she giggled. He thought it didn't fit her. "I didn't. You seemed to have had it nearly under control before I stepped in," he declaimed modestly, aha! There it was, she shifted, crossing one thigh over another, a pout fretting her moistened lips.

"Never the hero? Not even for a reward?" she slid off the armrest, sauntering slowly to his side, her hand lowered to his chest and the round tan buttons of his jacket. "Take off your jacket. It's not even cold in here." Ulquiorra pretended not to hear her or feel her fingers playing with the buttons.

"If you are cold..." she let the sentence hang for a moment, "I could warm you up."

Her legs went around his waist as she climbed onto his lap. Immediately he placed his hands against her hips, his thumb running along the broad expanse of her thigh and hemline curving inward to hear her hiss of pleasure and warning. "How much?" he asked tiredly. The woman smirked, sensing she had nearly won, "Two thousand for a blow job. Three for stroking and ten thousand for intercourse. Which will it be?"

She sounded excited and that made him wonder if maybe business was slower than usual that night. Ulquiorra slipped his hand to his jacket draped on the other side, pulling his wallet out filled with the cash from the insurance claim. "Ten thousand, you said?"

She nodded, her eyes greedily watching him.

He glanced at her face, withdrawing the required amount; _pity she was in this occupation. She really was a beautiful woman. _

"Regular sex is all I want."

She took the money, walking away into another part of the apartment. After a moment she had come back, outfitted in a lacy camisole with inserts of see-through lace over her breasts and a skimpy thong panty that try as he might to look upon her emotionlessly, his eyes came to rest frequently on the tiny curve of her crotch. His pants began to feel tight.

She led him into her bedroom, a low western style bed with a tucked in quilt was in the middle. He sat down on the edge then noticed she had dropped to her knees. "I didn't pay for this," he said, as her hands reached for the fastening of his jeans. The woman smiled faintly, "it's on the house. Just think of it as a thank you for earlier."

~*~

The woman was good at it, he had to admit. His rigid organ sliding into her mouth, her sucking almost had him come. All too soon it was over and he was on his back, a condom in her hand and her panties on the floor. The bed rocked violently as she rode him, thrusting herself onto the point of his penis, her walls tightened around him, his vision went white. He was near to it. He could feel his tip weeping, the slight tug of her fingers edging the condom off and then...it was over.

The woman leaned back, semen ran thick down her inner-thighs, she was panting but smiling seeing his expression. "You..." she shook her head, his hand curling around the back of her hair suddenly. He jerked her down, their lips slamming together; words weren't needed.

Before leaving, Ulquiorra glanced back at the woman lying sprawled on the bed, her modesty forsaken, the blanket was pulled across her lap but her stiff nipples were rigid at attention above the edge. He longed to take the pert pink flesh into his mouth but knew it would cost at least another thousand. The woman wasn't cheap, though he had to admit, she had given him the best sex of his life_ so far_.

Even not being as voluptuous as his dead wife.

"Your name...what is it?" he called back at the doorway.

She smiled faintly, knowing what was coming, "Rukia Kuchiki. Number 404, Ulquiorra."

He heard the teasing lilt and smiled slightly, "will next Thursday be convenient for you?"

"Maybe. The same?"

She was awfully good at fellacio, his dick could attest to that. But...he'd have bring extra cash...

"I'm not sure yet." With another glance at her pale cheeks smudged with makeup, her eyes watchful, he left. Knowing he'd come back.

~*~

His money taken, her hands fondling him; Ulquiorra leaned back, feeling her tongue flick over his tip.

He hadn't paid extra, only brought her a red leather blazer in the size he'd noticed from her other coat. It was designer, her squeal bringing a genuine smile to his lips. Once he'd enjoyed making his wife happy, now he took pleasure in giving to _another woman_. _His whore._

Strange how the world worked.

~*~

"You're beautiful..." he said quietly on his sixth visit. Rukia lay on the pillows, her hair tousled and spread out framing her palely flushed face. "I am not," she snorted, draping her hand across her eyes. Ulquiorra reached over, pulling her hand away, sliding his fingers between hers. "Yes. You are."

"Quit playing with me." she whined, trying to pull away.

Ulquiorra drew closer, his breath warm on her chilled breasts, he lowered his chin, brushing a tender kiss to her nipple. She shuddered but didn't stop him. "You're beautiful to _me_." He licked her skin, tasting her sweat, his hand cupped her mound, feeding the firm flesh into his mouth. Rukia gasped, her body arching. Her moans of pleasure brought another smile to his face; Orihime had never much liked her breasts suckled.

~*~

"Have you ever lost someone?" it was her turn to ask. Ulquiorra glanced at her in the shadowy half-light of day. "Yes...I was married--"

"You're married?!"

"I said I _was_." He was faintly amused by her slight jealousy. "My wife...died. She had been pregnant with our first...baby. I..."

"Do you still miss her?" Rukia held back from giving comfort, afraid of rebuke.

"Yes...and no."

"No?"

"I have someone else to care for now," he looked at her expecting her to understand, but she had turned away. Averting her face from him. "Oh."

_She didn't know? Foolish woman._

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Did you ever lose someone that you loved?"

It was her turn to grimace. "Yeah. About a year ago...my boyfriend--nearly fiance...he...he was driving over to pick me up for our anniversary. And...the idiot wasn't paying attention. There was this woman crossing the street and he sped across...." her voice became quieter, "...she was pregnant. Ichigo...gods it was awful. The woman's last name was Schiffer, I remember--"

"Schiffer? Orihime Schiffer?"

Rukia lifted her head, her brow furrowed, "y-yeah. How did you--" realization struck her and her hand flew up to her mouth.

"I have to go."

"Wait, Ulquiorra! I--"

"I need some time to think things through. Don't expect me back." He gathered up his clothing, dressing hurriedly and haphazardly. Rukia watched him go helplessly, her last words vanishing with the bang of the door slamming shut, "I didn't know!"

~*~

"Ulquiorra..." a few moments later, she flew from the bed, grabbing the nearest garment, a long-sleeved gray dress and pulling it on over her head. She slipped her ankle boots on at the door then raced out, determined to apologize, to do something. It hadn't been her fault, he had to see that. They were jsut connected by tragedy, by ill fate. It wasn't...

He had disappeared by the time she had rounded the street corner.

Panting, she started across.

~*~

Ulquiorra glanced after her retreating back, stepping back onto the sidewalk from the corner he had hidden himself in. The ring box felt heavy in his pocket, his hand slipped idly over it, his mind in turmoil over their conversation. _Her fiance had killed his wife and in turn died in the very same accident._

It just wasn't right.

He started to walk the opposite way, turning his back on the far street corner and her figure runnig across. Only the bang and slam of a body hitting metal and the startled screams of the passersby made him stop. It wasn't fair.

~*~

She couldn't feel, she couldn't see, only the blood obscuring her eyes told her what had happened.

Her breaths became shallower, her eyes closing, the murmur from above became distant, even the voice of the one she wanted to-no-needed to tell him something, faded. She saw only blackness.

~*~

"Rukia! Open your eyes--no--no!"

"Sir, she's gone."

He ignored the people telling him what could not be so. She had to be alive, she had to hear him. He had to say he was sorry...he had to tell her. He had to ask her something. The ring in his pocket would be the ring that would tie them together.

_I love you._

_Will you marry me?_

~Finis~

AN:it didn't end happily unfortunately since she died. Don't own Bleach. Thanks for reading and reviews are appreciated.


End file.
